The Magic of Tidying Dramatically Transforms Your Life

The final part of TLCMOTU by Marie Kondo: “The Magic of Tidying Dramatically Transforms Your Life”

I hope you enjoy this last post for this book and pick up a copy to read on your happy and healthy adventure. 🙂 ❤

“At their core, the things we really like do not change over time. Putting your house in order is a great way to discover what they are” (175).

“…letting go is even more important than adding” (177).

“Tidying dramatically changes one’s life. This is true for everyone, 100 percent” (178).

“The lives of those who tidy thoroughly and completely, in a single shot, are without exception dramatically altered” (178).

“…one of the magical effects of tidying is confidence in your decision making capacity” (178).

“Tidying means taking each item in your hand, asking yourself whether it sparks joy, and deciding on this basis whether or not to keep it” (178).

“When it comes to the things I own, the clothes I wear, the house I live in, and the people in my life, when it comes to my environment as a whole, although it may not seem particularly special to anyone else, I am confident and extremely grateful to be surrounded by what I love, by the things and people that are, each and every one, special, precious, and exceedingly dear to me” (180).

“…to see how much support they receive from the space they live in and the things that surround them” (181).

“But when we really delve into the reasons for why we can’t let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future” (181).

“The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life” (182).

“The best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don’t” (183).

“It is only when we face the things we own one by one and experience the emotions they evoke that we can truly appreciate our relationship with them” (183).

“If we acknowledge our attachment to the past and our fears for the future by honestly looking at our possessions, we will be able to see what is really important to us. This process in turn helps us identify our values and reduces doubt and confusion in making life decisions. If we can have confidence in our decisions and launch enthusiastically into action without any doubts holding us back, we will be able to achieve much more” (184).

“Life becomes far easier once you know that things will still work out even if you are lacking something” (187).

“Because they have continued to identify and dispense with things that they don’t need, they no longer abdicate responsibility for decision making to other people” (187).

“There is one fail-proof strategy to quickly hone your sense of what you need and where things belong: greet your house every time you come home” (189).

“In essence, tidying ought to be the act of restoring balance among people, their possessions, and the house they live in” (190).

“But I think the main reason tidying has this effect is because through this process people come to know contentment” (195).

“I believe that owning only what we love and what we need is the most natural condition” (197).

“If you can say without a doubt, “I really like this!” no matter what anyone else says, and if you like yourself for having it, then ignore what other people think” (202).

“All you need to do is get rid of anything that doesn’t touch your heart. There is no simpler way to contentment” (202).

“As for you, pour your time and passion into what brings you the most joy, your mission in life” (204).